The Washington critic., 1887-03-17
MRS. BURKE'S PUDDING.

Capulet's day to bake one of her best
plum puddings during Christmas week
for the char. woman, Mrs. Burke, who
was never likely to taste such dainty
at other seasons. why should we
keep all the good things to ourselves"
she used to ask, "cat plum pudding
whenever we fancy 1t, and this poor
Woodworking woman never know the
taste of such morse T. 1t was als)
the custom of the house "to build" as
Harry Capulet used to say, several of
these rich puddngs at the same time;
q they should keep for weeks or months
| without spelling, and there they were,
\ 1t moments notice, IL dinner com
pany arrived unexpectedly on washing
or ironing days, when it was inconve.
nient to concoci n ce desserts. When
Mrs. Henry Capuet took the manage.
ment of affairs after his mothers death.
her husbands cousin who had been
regent during the interregnum, said to
her at Christmas time, 81 hope, dear,
you will continue Mrs. Burke's pud-
ding; she has received 1t for so many
years, she will feel injured, I'm afraid,
= unless you do"
"Oh, certainly" answered Mrs.
Harry. who was of an economical turn
of mind; II shall give Mrs. Burke
pudding, but not one of these. What
are You thinking about-waste all these
delicacies on char woman p
"Ginberbread pudding with few
raisius added will satisfy her quite as
we'll" put In Mrs. lIarry's sister.
"What they call poor mans pud-
dive ~ oo1ynl
"Yes-the very thing"
"But, my dear; cXpostulated Sue
Capulet, Mrs. Burke will know; she
has been accustomed to the best. / have
made 1t a principle to send her as good
as ] kept; | hated 10 scrimp her at
Christmas time"
'Oh, you're too extravagant, Cousin
Sue. Besides, you give an old, igno.
rant char woman credit for all your
own virtues and tastes. don't think
1t worth while to waste so much money
upon her; poor mans pudding is
more appropriate for the circum.
stances"
"NoJlessc oJligo," insisted Sue. But
Mrs. Harry laughed, and ordered the
poor mans pudding to be baked the
same size as her own plum. .puddings.
II can hardly tell them apart; cook
has given them all such rich brown.
Surely the proof of the pudding is in
the baking as well as the eating"
But Sue sighed. Mrs. Burke is
English. You won't be able to dc.
ceive her about an English plum.
pudding"
"I'm not going to label it. and she
can take II or leave it. Beggars
shouldn't be choosers, I've heard"
cried Mrs. Harry, who couldn't keep
her temper as well as she could keep
other things.
THAT was pudding ~ said Mrs.
y, Burke, one morning after Christmas,
having come In for some work. Mrs.
Harry looked at Sue. II think" con-
tinued Mrs. Burke, "thcy grow nicer
every year, Mrs. Capulet. This one
just melted in your mouth; it was too
good for poor folks"
"Thercr' cried Mrs. Capulet, as soon
rs Mrs. Burke's back wis turned,
what did tell you, SueI" After ed.
ucating Mrs. Burke up to the English
plum pudding. This is all the good
1t does to educate the lower classes.
you see."
Il hope 1t isn't blarney in Mrs.
Burke" hazarded Sue.
"a man oonv need agaIn't bis will,
Is ct the same opinion still,
quoted Mrs. Harry.
After this, whenever Sue or Mrs.
Harry disagreed, her sister would say,
Remember Mrs. Burke's pudding,
Sue" However, the matter faded out
of their minds in time, and perhaps
" they would never have thought of II
ugain If Mr.. Gus Blake hadn't happened
TO drop in upon them. Now, Mr.. Blake
was. somebody worth while In Mis-;
Lily's eyes. She had met him here
and there, danced with him at germans
yachted with him, picknicked with
him, lunched with him; once he had
even mt her some flowers; she had
some of them now, pressed In a book
of love sonnets. lie was one Of those
cordial people wlfb shake hands as II
\ they were making love. Miss Lily wa:
more than fond of his society; she In
tended to marry him. But 1t was {
pity that he should arrive on the only
day In the week when they had {
piCked.up dinner,
There Is one Of the Christmas pud
dings left, at any rate, said Mrs
Harry; That will redeem the dinner.
Mr.. Gus Blake was very airuble a
usual iiC lazy tltlo w
gether before dinner; she had also Il
show him over the grounds, the vicv
= of the river, the eagles nest; the
hunted for four leaved clovcrs togethe
and she told his fortune with daisy
lie was complimentary and gallant
Lily felt as If n crisis was Mt hand
They met Sue with her hands full o
wild flowers, coming from school.
!, "A neighbor r he asked, with hi
most Indifferent manner, as she jus
nodded and hurried by.
"Oh, no, That is Sue Capulet
Harry's cousin. She used to keep hi
house before he married"
Indeed v'
"Ycs. She's rather prim in he
ways, and opinionated like all countr.
people.
"Ah she must be very disagree
able"
perhaps but one needs to live wit
her TO find it out
And you live with her
"Yes. She will live here, | suppose
\ till somebody marries her,
:" Then she has lover"
II never heard of one"
And yet she is not precisely ugly,
with twinkle in his eye.
mo, not at all; only commonplace,
conceded Lily.
The dinner progressed as far as tn
dessert. II was picked.up one, to b
sure; but what could any one eXpel
who came without announcing himsel
Mrs. Harry assured herself. Mr.. Blal
was famous dincr.out he ineN
moreover, how to make himself agree
able OVpr a dinner of herbs. and The